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"description": "Supporters argue the bill would preserve agency expertise in complex rulemaking",
"path": "/maine-lawmakers-push-bill-to-require-chevron-deference-at-state-level/",
"publishedAt": "2025-04-08T20:21:27.000Z",
"site": "https://broadbandbreakfast.com",
"tags": [
"_LD 1408, HP 930_",
"__Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo__",
"_In a recent column_",
"_Stop Corporate Capture Act_"
],
"textContent": "April 8, 2025 – Maine lawmakers are considering a bill that would require courts to defer to state agencies when reasonably interpreting ambiguous laws, effectively imposing the judicial doctrine of _Chevron deference_ at the state level.\n\nThe bill, _LD 1408, HP 930_, was introduced on April 1 by Rep. **David Sinclair,** D-Bath, and Sen. **Anne Carney** , D-Cumberland, both members of the Judiciary Committee. A public hearing was held Monday, April 7.\n\nChevron deference, a framework stemming from a 1984 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, directed courts to uphold agency interpretations of unclear laws if deemed reasonable. That precedent was overturned in 2024 by the Supreme Court’s decision in __Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo__, which limited the power of federal agencies and restored interpretive authority to the courts.\n\nWhile Maine courts have traditionally applied _Chevron_ -like reasoning, LD 1408 would formally codify that deference in state law. Supporters argue the bill would preserve agency expertise in complex rulemaking. Critics, however, see it as an overreach. _In a recent column_, former State Rep. **John Andrews** , Republican, called it “a potentially monumental change” that would shift legal power from judges to unelected bureaucrats.\n\nThe debate mirrored federal efforts to revive _Chevron deference_. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., introduced the _Stop Corporate Capture Act_ last year to restore the doctrine federally and boost transparency in agency rulemaking. Meanwhile, states like Kentucky have moved in the opposite direction, recently banning _Chevron deference_ outright.",
"title": "Maine Lawmakers Push Bill to Require Chevron Deference at State Level",
"updatedAt": "2026-03-11T03:31:24.299Z"
}